Paedophile jailed after raping boy, 11, who was trick-or-treating on Halloween

A evil paedophile who kidnapped and raped an 11-year-old boy who was out trick-or-treating on Halloween has been jailed for 12 years.

Simon Heritage, 38, dragged the terrified lad off the street and pressed a knife into his back, before telling him: “Don’t make a noise or I’ll kill you.”

When the boy tried to dial 999 on his mobile phone, Heritage snatched it off him and again threatened to kill him before holding the blade to his neck and telling him: “Walk”.

Heritage frogmarched the lad to a dark driveway where he ordered him to strip naked before sexually assaulting and raping him.

Heritage then gave the boy his home address and told him to come to see him the next day.

After his horrific 30-minute ordeal, the boy ran home and told his parents who called police.

Officers swooped on the address in Bedworth, Warks., which Heritage had given the lad and arrested him hours after the attack.

On Monday Heritage was jailed for 12 years after he pleaded guilty to kidnap, rape, sexual assault and possession of a bladed instrument in a public place.

Caging him at Warwick Crown Court, Judge Marten Coates told him: “The aggravating features are that there was premeditation and planning on your part, and the attack was sustained.

“He had been abducted from the street and, and you used a knife to press home your attack.

“The extent on the damage to the boy in unknown, but will be lasting.”

The court heard Heritage targeted the youngster who was walking home from an evening trick-or-treating with pals at 6.45pm in Bedworth, on October 31.

But the boy, who was expected home at 7pm, became separated from his friends and as he walked towards his home Heritage pounced.

Prosecutor Aliya Rashid told the court the boy noticed Heritage briefly, wearing a long dark coat, while he was with his friends, and as he walked along a road he could hear someone behind him.

She said: “Before he could turn round he felt something sharp in his back, and realised it was a knife as the defendant told him: ‘Don’t make a noise or I’ll kill you.’

“The boy tried to get his phone out to call 999, but Heritage snatched it from him and, threatening to kill him if he moved, held the knife to his neck and ordered him to ‘walk.'”

The boy’s mum rang his mobile to see where he was and Heritage ordered the lad to lie to her, telling her he was near home.

In the darkness the youngster then asked Heritage ‘why me?’ at which Heritage said he was going to have sex with him and began kissing him on the mouth.

Heritage then ordered the boy to stand with his hands against the wall and his legs spread apart before raping him.

He gave the boy his home address, before letting him go and telling him to visit him the next day at 8pm.

Heritage admitted to police what he had done and said he was “eight out of ten drunk,” after attending a funeral.

He said he had then gone home and got a knife and went out to look for someone to sexually assault, explaining that he “would prefer a girl but didn’t mind.”

Mrs Rashid added that as a result of his ordeal, the boy is now scared to go out in the dark, has flash backs which make it difficult for him to get to sleep.

Denis Desmond, defending, said Heritage had “significant learning difficulties.”